Published July 16, 2025

Giving Orlando culinary artists a chance to test their skills, the non-profit organization FusionFest hosted the Culinary Fusion Contest. On July 8th and 10th, eleven chefs competed at the Walt Disney World Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts for the grand prize of $1,000.

Their challenge: create an innovative dish fusing techniques or ingredients from two or more cultures. In addition to the panel of judges, 30 VIP guests tasted and evaluated their dishes.

The chefs stepped up to the plate, producing uniquely blended dishes with beautiful presentation.

“It’s my first time at an event like this, and it was amazing,” one guest told the Orlando Life. “I enjoyed every single plate.”

Chef Elena Chitoroagi won the first day of competition with her Moldovan-Italian blend, and Jonathan Woodbury won the second day of competition with his Southern-inspired dish. This put Elena and Jonathan head-to-head for the overall title. Elena emerged victorious, taking home the grand prize in her first ever culinary competition.

“For us, this is not only a competition,” Elena said. “It’s part of us, part of our family, because everyone in the family is cooking, and I’m assuming every chef starts from his house. That’s why I’m trying to spread my kids to cook, explore, because this is the land where you can do whatever you want — it doesn’t matter. It’s your choice. No one is judging you.”

Elena’s kids were by her side when she was crowned the winner.

“I cannot believe it,” Elena’s young daughter Nicole said as Maria Saavedra handed her mom a giant check. “This could be something definitely I would remember when I’ll be definitely older, and this would be something I’ll be in my entire life.”

The dish that won Elena the grand prize was a carefully crafted liver pâté.

“It’s a dish that beautifully intertwines my beloved Moldovian culture with the vibrant flavor of Italy,” Elena explained to the guests at the event. “The dish is deeply rooted in memory, cultivated in the warm kitchen of my mind.”

When deciding on her dish, Elena was guided by a practice in Moldovian culture. In order to prepare for the cold months, Elena’s village of Ocnita in Moldova spends the autumn hunting and gathering for the ingredients to make liver pâté. This is not just a necessity—it’s a joyful and nourishing tradition. But the servings of liver pâté that Elena prepared for the Culinary Fusion Contest had something unique about them: they were shaped into tomatoes.

In Moldova, tomatoes are cherished throughout the winter.

“They were a reminder of the summer harvest and the community that came together,” Elena said.

On top of her tomato-shaped pâtés, Elena added Italian marinara sauce and pickled tomato juice to symbolize the blend of her culture with Italy’s. Under the pâté, Elena included black fried bread.

As an extra treat, Elena’s kids also made the guests a Moldovan dessert called Baba Neagra.

“It’s a Moldovan brownie, like a brownie in the USA,” Nicole explained. “It’s spongy like that. And we served it with some ice cream.”

For Elena, winning the Culinary Fusion Contest was a sign that she’s doing the right thing with her life by carrying on her mother’s work.

“I’m doing everything for my mom. She passed away when I was only 13.”

Now, Elena is teaching her own kids how to cook. A few months ago, Nicole and her six-year-old brother Oscar even started their own food blog. Elena and her “mini chefs” plan to continue cooking for the rest of their lives.